Apples are a fruit loved by many, but some say that eating apple peels can cause cancer. Do you believe it? Traditional Chinese Medicine tells you why eating apple peels can easily lead to cancer!
In order to effectively control pests and diseases, the use of various pesticides is still necessary in agricultural production worldwide. Many pesticides are not water-soluble but have a high affinity for waxes. The outermost layer of an apple is a wax layer, where pesticides are adsorbed, effectively protecting the fruit from pests and bacterial infections. Because liposoluble pesticides have long-lasting efficacy and are not easily washed away by rain, many farmers prefer to use this type of agent. At the same time, these agents generally do not easily penetrate the fruit, thereby reducing the total amount of residue. Therefore, although apple peels contain special nutrients, they may indeed contain more pesticides than the flesh.
It should be said that as long as pesticides are used in strict accordance with the regulations of the relevant national departments, even trace amounts of pesticide residues will not harm human health. However, in China's agricultural production, the overuse of pesticides exceeding standards or the use of fake and inferior pesticides occurs from time to time. And some abused, fake, and inferior pesticides may be carcinogenic.
Liposoluble pesticides are adsorbed in the wax layer, and even with detergent, it is difficult to wash them off completely. Therefore, peeling the apple is a safer choice. Most liposoluble pesticides have a strong medicinal odor, and you can judge by smelling carefully. Among fruits that can be eaten with the skin, apples and pears are consumed in large quantities in daily life. Apples and pears are easy to peel, so if you can smell a medicinal odor, you should of course peel them before eating.
From the above, it can be seen that pesticides are easily left on apple peels, so they should be eaten with caution. Do you now know why eating apple peels can easily lead to cancer?